I’ve always known there’s nothing wrong with being a visual learner. It’s important to me that everyone understands this, because I’m a visual learner and have had an ADD diagnosis since elementary school. While I don’t talk about it all the time, it’s the main reason I struggle to grasp concepts that aren’t visual to me.
This week, I realized visual storytelling is an important skill, especially for me, since I want a remote media position in the future in addition to my certified teaching assistant role. Visual storytelling is useful because of related concepts like authenticity and the sensory qualities of images — two of the few terms discussed in this article by Mike Montalto from Amplifi.
In my sports writing experience, I’ve written news and opinion pieces about my favorite team, the New York Mets. However, I’ve never really told a story visually, even in sports. Today, I decided to change that.
The Story
As much as I love baseball and the Mets, I can never miss watching football games. Preseason football is already over, which means the regular season starts in a couple of weeks. My favorite football team, the New York Jets, have a whole lot to play for this year. I decided to share images that show and tell what the 2026 Jets football season means for fans, the National Football League, and the world.
The Quarterback
To start, here is an image of Jets quarterback Geno Smith in the second preseason game of 2026 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Smith is in his second stint with the Jets; the team drafted him in 2013, and he played for a few other teams before returning to New York.
Smith only played in one offensive possession in a 17-0 victory over the Steelers, and that possession was a touchdown drive. Many people, including fans and reporters, were impressed by this strong start for Smith, who didn’t play in the first and last preseason games.
The Jets have struggled to find success with a starting quarterback, and Smith is the projected starter this season. Keep in mind the team also has Cade Klubnik, whom they drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in April, as the potential No. 2 quarterback behind Smith. Klubnik didn’t perform badly in the preseason, but he needs more experience, which is why all attention is on Smith to start at quarterback. If Smith shines beyond this strong start, the team will be in good hands moving forward.
The Coaching Staff
About this image, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey (not pictured) are entering their second season in charge of the team. The team only won three games last season under this regime. This image shows Glenn doing his job by coaching the players during a practice session. It was taken on July 29, 2026, right before the preseason.
This image shows that Glenn, like Mougey, has a lot to prove this season. If they want to stay with the team long term, they have to do everything in their power to help the team win more games.
The Skill Positions
Here’s an image that shows another key player on the Jets: Garrett Wilson. As seen here, he made a great catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first 2026 preseason game.
Wilson has been with the team since 2022, and it’s been an up-and-down ride. With catches like this, he clearly has potential to succeed in his fifth season with the team. Plus, he signed a contract extension last summer, keeping him with the team through 2030. So, this season should mean something special could be coming for the young wide receiver.
Now, let’s shift from offense to defense. The Jets have a bunch of top draft picks, including rookie edge rusher David Bailey, who recorded a sack in the second preseason game against the Steelers, as seen in this image from Yahoo Sports.
Bailey is likely going to be fun to watch this season. He is the No. 2 overall pick the Jets drafted in April, and throughout training camp he has lived up to his big potential. In past years, the team has struggled to sack quarterbacks because it lacked a pass rush. Bailey clearly fills that void, and it would make a huge difference if he stays consistent.
Another important defensive area the Jets have lacked recently is cornerback and safety. Last season, the team had zero interceptions, which is an unwanted NFL record. As seen here from The Herald Journal, Minkah Fitzpatrick, whom the Jets acquired via trade with the Miami Dolphins this past offseason, played briefly in the first preseason game against the Buccaneers.
Fitzpatrick is more than just a solid safety. He is Pro Football Focus’ fifth-best safety in the NFL, and a five-time Pro Bowler. This is the type of player the Jets need on defense, especially with these struggles they have had recently. This upcoming NFL season would be much different for the team in a positive way if he continues to shine.
Although Fitzpatrick provides a lot for the Jets defense this year, let’s not forget the other defensive highlights in the preseason.
In this image from AMNY, the Jets defense celebrates another sack of a Steelers quarterback. They didn’t have many opportunities to celebrate last season or in recent years. However, they had two interceptions in that game, plus another one and a fumble recovery in the last preseason game, which all felt like a good milestone, although it’s preseason. So, the defense may be starting to look better and more improved than in recent seasons.
The Schedule
As much as the offense and defense may be improved for the Jets this year, let’s take a look at their schedule.
According to Sharp Football Analysis, the Jets hold the fourth-easiest strength of schedule this year. That should be a major advantage for this team. Plus, they open their season on the road against the Tennessee Titans, and their former head coach, Robert Saleh, is now that team’s head coach.
Just by looking at every game in this schedule, the Jets may have chances to win most of the games. It’s just a matter of execution.
The Moral
According to Erica Santiago’s HubSpot article, any media such as graphics and photos generate visual interest (Santiago, 2026). These seven images suggest the story’s moral: the 2026 Jets football season could be special. For a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 15 years, on top of only winning one Super Bowl in franchise history, this season has plenty of chances to be successful.
It’s also worth mentioning never to get too excited about these kinds of things because, as you long-suffering Jets fans probably know, anything is possible. You never know; this season could be the opposite of what we hope. However, let’s not think negative just yet. Instead, let’s stay positive and be happy with what’s happening right now: this team had a fairly decent preseason, and as Montalto mentions in his article on authenticity, candid, real images are the best way to reveal the story’s reality (Montalto, 2024). This is exactly what all these images provide.
I look forward to the beginning of the 2026 NFL season!
References
Montalto, M. (2024, May 12). Worth 1,000 words: The four principles of visual storytelling. Amplifi. https://amplifinp.com/blog/4-principles-visual-storytelling/
Santiago, E. (2024). Visual Storytelling: 10 Stunning Examples to Inspire You. HubSpot.Com; HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-storytelling-examples#what-is-visual-storytelling
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